Friday, September 7, 2018

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Richmond, Virginiahttp://wwwapps.tc.gc.caNTSB Identification: GAA18CA53714 CFR Part 91: General AviationAccident occurred Wednesday, September 05, 2018 in Richmond, VAAircraft: Cessna 180, registration: C-GODANTSB investigators will use data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator, and will not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. – No one was hurt when a small plane force landed on the Highland Springs High School baseball field at about 1:22 p.m. Wednesday. The single-engine plane was approaching nearby Richmond International Airport (RIC) when it crash landed."A single-engine Cessna 180 was en route to the Richmond International Airport and had received clearance to land when it sustained engine failure," Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller said."The 55-year-old male pilot from Ontario, Canada made an emergency landing in the baseball field at Highland Springs High School in eastern Henrico County."The pilot was the only person aboard the plane.No injuries were reported on the ground, Geller said."As the plane made its descent, it did come in contact with a power line," she added.Dominion Energy reported more than 5,700 customers were initially without power.All power has since been restored to Highland Spring High school and all schools impacted by the outage, according to Henrico Schools spokesman Andy Jenks. The additional schools that were impacted includes ACE Center at Highland Springs, Highland Springs Elementary School, Donahoe Elementary School, Fair Oaks Elementary School and the New Bridge Learning Center.All after school activities at Highland Springs High School have been cancelled.Jenks went on to say all schools will open on time Thursday, September 6.The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are on their way to Highland Springs to help investigate the forced landing.Story and video ➤ https://wtvr.com

Five friends were jumping on a trampoline in a backyard across the street from Highland Springs High School on Wednesday afternoon when a small plane tore through the power lines just above their heads.They heard the loud “boom” it made as it knocked out power to the neighborhood and schools nearby, and then saw the plane crash-land in the baseball field behind the school.“It was so close,” said Heather Reilly, who graduated from the high school across the street this year.“I could have jumped off that trampoline and touched that [plane],” said Ryan Sullivan, facetiously jumping up and swatting the air. “No, it wasn’t that low, but it was close.” Sullivan is a recent Varina High School graduate who spent two years at Highland Springs High, off Nine Mile Road in eastern Henrico County.“I thought it could have hit the school,” said Ethan Brown, another former Highland Springs student who is now being home-schooled. “I’ve got friends in there. It could have been bad.”About 1:20 p.m. Wednesday, the single-engine Cessna 180 made an emergency landing when it experienced engine failure, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said in a news release. The small plane was en route to Richmond International Airport nearby and had received clearance to land when the engine failed, Geller said.No injuries were reported inside the plane or on the ground. The pilot, a 55-year-old man from Ontario, Canada, was the plane’s only occupant.The aircraft had departed from Ontario on Wednesday morning, police said.“Whatever skill or luck went into making that landing into that field, under the circumstances, I think that’s pretty incredible,” Henrico schools spokesman Andy Jenks told members of the media at the scene.The cause of the emergency landing is under investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified.In addition to state police, personnel from Richmond International Airport, the Henrico Police Department, and Henrico Fire and EMS also responded to the scene.Power outages affected a number of schools, including Highland Springs High, ACE Center at Highland Springs, Highland Springs Elementary School, Donahoe Elementary School, Fair Oaks Elementary School and the New Bridge Learning Center. Power was restored fully by 5:30 p.m.Teachers and the schools’ dining services department provided water to students to keep them cool as temperatures started to rise without air conditioning, Jenks said. School system personnel monitored temperatures on a room-by-room basis, he added. Classroom lights were off throughout the afternoon, but hallways were lit by backup generators.The incident had no impact on dismissal times, Jenks said, although parents began arriving at the high school soon after they heard about the crash to retrieve their children and were thwarted by school officials and police officers. Highland Springs High was placed on lockdown while officials figured out how to deal with early dismissals.“Kids are texting parents about how hot they were,” said Chaka Myers, who waited about two hours outside the school to pick up her daughter. “It took a long time to get any information.”One parent who didn’t want to be identified said her child suffered from a condition that was exacerbated by heat, but officials rebuffed her pleas to release the student.About 3:30 p.m., about 20 minutes before students are normally released, parents were asked to make a line. One-by-one, their child’s information was collected and the students were retrieved and released.“One thing you don’t do in a school system was just open the doors and turn it into a free-for-all,” Jenks said. “So you do have to spend a little bit of time coming up with a safe and orderly plan.”Students inside didn’t seem fazed by the commotion outside on their second day of the school year.“It was a normal school day,” said Jalaya Williams, Myers’ daughter.All schools affected by the power outage will open on time Thursday, Jenks said Wednesday evening.Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.richmond.com